The document summarizes a study on the phytochemical screening and antimicrobial activity of leaves and rhizome extracts of Fimbristylis ovata. Methanolic extracts of leaves contained tannins, saponins, flavonoids, anthocyanins, and other compounds, while rhizome extracts contained similar compounds plus terpenoids. Antimicrobial testing found that rhizome extracts inhibited the growth of Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus, and Bacillus cereus in a concentration-dependent manner, while leaves extracts also inhibited these bacteria as well as Pseudomonas. The presence of compounds like saponins and terpenoids in the extracts may be responsible for their

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IJPRD, 2011; Vol 5(11): January-2012 (025 - 034) InternationalStandard Serial Number 0974 – 9446
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PHTYOCHEMICAL SCREENING AND ANTIMICROBIAL ACITIVITY OF LEAVES
AND RHIZOME EXRACTS OF Fimbristylis ovata.
Sowmya Thomas1*
,
101 B 3rd
street, Gill Nagar. Chennai 600 094.Shyama Mukundan2
.
Puravoor house,Po vaka, via Mattom, Thrissur 680602
ABSTRACT
1
Department of Plant Biology & Plant Biotechnology
Madras Christian College (Autonomous)
Tambaram, Chennai – 600 059.
Tamil Nadu, India
The various extracts of leaves and rhizomes of the sedge
Fimbristylis ovata (Burm. F.) Kern (Cyperaceae) were investigated
for its antimicrobial activity. The methanolic extracts of leaves and
rhizomes which were screened, depict the presence of tannins,
saponins,flavonoids, anthocyanins and β-cyanines, quinines,
cardiacglycosides, phenol, coumarins, alkaloids and tannins,
saponins, flavonoids, anthocyanins and β-cyanines, quinines,
terpenoids, phenol, alkaloids respectively.
The antimicrobial activity studied showed an ideal length of zone
of inhibition in both leaves and rhizome extracts
Key Words: Fimbristylis ovata, phytochemical screening
and antimicrobial activity.
Correspondence to Author
Sowmya Thomas
Madras Christian College (Autonomous)
Tambaram, Chennai – 600 059
Email: shivbsaip@gmail.com
INTRODUCTION
Medicinal plants are valuable natural
resources and regarded as potentially safe drugs
and have been tested for biological, antimicrobial
and hypoglycemic activity also play an important
role in the modern medicine1
. With the continuous
use of antibiotics, microorganisms have become
resistant. In addition to this problem, antibiotics
are sometimes associated with adverse effects
on host which include hypersensitivity, depletion
of beneficial gut and mucosal microorganism,
immunosuppression and allergic reactions. This
has created immense clinical problem in the
treatment of infections diseases. Therefore there
is a need to develop alternative antimicrobial
drugs for the treatment of infectious diseases,
one approach is to screen local medicinal plants
for possible antimicrobial properties. Plant
materials remain an important resource to
combat serious diseases in the world2
.
Phytochemistry, in the strict sense is the study of
chemicals contained in plants in a more
descriptive and illustrative manner. The term is

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Biotechnology, Madras Christian College,
Chennai.
Rhizome was separated from leaf spur and
often used to describe the large number of
secondary metabolic compounds found in plants.
Most of these chemicals are medicinal and they
are used to prevent and treat both external and
internal diseases. The medicinal value of these
plants lies in some chemical substances that
produce a definite physiological action on the
human body and these chemical substances are
called phytochemicals3
.
Fimbristylis ovata (Burm. f.) Kern belonging to the
family Cyperaceae is a perennial sedge
possessing orange rhizome. Fimbristylis ovata is
distributed in the pantropics4
, tropics and
subtropics and low lying grasslands. The entire
plant is reported to be medicinally important in
traditional systems. The entire plant is used by
the Digo tribes of Kenya to treat ailments such as
rheumatism, cough, bronchitis, asthma, urinary
tract infection and arthritis5.
The ayurvedic name
is Ibha-muulaka. It is active against adenitis,
scrofula, syphilis; also in cough, bronchitis and
asthma6
. Hence in the present study we have
concentrated on the phytochemical screening of
various extracts of Fimbristylis ovata and its
antimicrobial activity.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Fresh plant samples of Fimbristylis ovata were
collected from the campus of Madras Christian
College in the month of February 2012. The plant
was authenticated by taxonomist Dr. Aris Dason
Wilson, Department of Plant Biology and Plant
washed thrice and shade dried for forty eight
hours and powdered. The powder of both leaves
and rhizome were subjected to the extraction of
methanol, ethanol, distilled water (aqueous), ethyl
acetate and chloroform.
Phytochemical screening
Phytochemical screening was carried to assess
the phytochemicals present in the plant sample
such as, anthocyanins, β-cyanins, quinines,
cardiac glycosides, terpenoids, phenols,
coumarins, steroids and alkaloids. Phytochemical
screening of various extracts of leaves and
rhizomes of Fimbristylis ovata were subjected to
many reagents to assess the chemical
constituents mentioned above.
Anitmicrobial activity
A comparative antimicrobial assay was done with
the rhizome and leaf extract of Fimbristylis ovata
against four selected human bacterial pathogens
following disc diffusion method7, 8
. Mueller Hinton
Agar (MHA) plates were prepared by pouring
15% of molten agar in each Petri plate dedicated
for each bacterial strain and was solidified. 20μl
of strain was swabbed by applying the streak
method on the agar medium of one of the plates
as a control. Four bacterial strains (Escherichia
coli, Staphylococcus spp., Bacillus cereus &
Pseudomonas spp.) were streaked on four
different plates with media. Three different μl (10,
20 & 30) of the plant extract was loaded on three
different discs. Fourth disc was loaded with the
respective solvent as control disc. The loaded
disc was placed on the surface of the bacteria
streaked media. The plates were kept for
incubation at 37˚C for 24 hours. Antibacterial
activity was recorded by measuring the zone of
growth inhibition around the well9
.
RESULT AND DISCUSSION
The phytochemical screening results of leaves and
rhizomes are tabulated in table 1 & 2 respectively.
The result of the phytochemical screening shows
that methanolic extract have a higher percentage
in comparison to other solvents. The methanolic
extracts of Fimbristylis ovata leaf revealed the
presence of tannins, saponins, flavonoids,
anthocyanins, β-cyanins, quinines, cardiac
glycosides, phenols and coumarins. Alkaloids and
terpenoids were absent in the extract. The
preliminary phytochemical tests are helpful in
finding chemical constituents in the plant material
that may lead to their quantitative estimation and
also in locating the source of pharmacologically
active chemical compound.
The result of the antimicrobial activity of the
methanolic extract of both leaves and rhizomes
are tabulated in table 3 & 4 respectively. The
bacterial action of plant extracts can be made
promising by using methanol extracts. The
antimicrobial study help in understanding the effect
of plant against microbes. The methanol extract of
rhizome of Fimbristylis ovata showed a zone of

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inhibition measuring 16mm against Escherichia
coli which was the maximum inhibition zone
obtained. The methanol extracts from rhizome
failed to elicit any reaction against Pseudomonas
spp. The observed activity was due to the
presence of some metabolites, saponins and
terpenoids which have been implicated in various
biological activities. These findings can be
considered as a preliminary, authentic and
scientific validation for the use of Fimbristylis ovata
for anti bacterial activity.
Tables
Table 1:
Phytochemical Screening Of Fimbristylis ovata
Leaf Extract
Tests Methanol Ethanol Distilled
Water
Ethyl
Acetate
Chloroform
Tannin + + + + -
Saponins + + + + +
Flavonoids + + + - +
Anthocyanins
and Beta
cyanine
+ - + + -
Quinines + + + - -
Glycosides - - - + -
Cardiac
Glycosides
+ + + - -
Terpenoids - + - - +
Phenol + + + - -
Coumarins + - - - -
Steroids - + - - -
Alkaloids - - + + +

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+ = Positive
- = Negative
Table 2
Phytochemical Sreening Of Fimbristylis ovata
Rhizome Extract
Tests Methanol Ethanol Distilled
water
Ethyl acetate Chloroform
Tannin + + + - -
Saponins + + + - -
Flavonoids + + + + -
Anthocyanins + + + + +
Quinine + + - + -
Glycosides - - - - -
Cardiac
glycosides
- - - - -
Terpenoids + + + + +
Phenol + + + + -
Coumarins - + + + +
Steroids - + + + +
Alkaloids + - + + +
+ = Positive
- = Negative

5. Table 3:
Antimicrobial Activity Of Fimbristylis ovata Leaf Extract
Microorganisms Methanol Extract Zone of inhibition
Escherichia coli 10μl
20 μl
30 μl
8mm
10mm
13 mm
Staphylococcus 10μl
20 μl
30 μl
8mm
10mm
13mm
Bacillus cereus 10μl
20 μl
30 μl
-
10mm
10mm
Pseudomonas 10μl
20 μl
30 μ
-
13mm
13mm

6. Table 4:
Antimicrobial Activity Of Fimbristylis ovata Rhizome Extract
Microorganisms Methanol Extract Zone of inhibition
Escherichia coli 10μl
20 μl
30 μl
10mm
16mm
16mm
Staphylococcus 10μl
20 μl
30 μl
9mm
10mm
14mm
Bacillus cereus 10μl
20 μl
30 μl
9mm
14mm
15mm
Pseudomonas 10μl
20 μl
30 μ
-
-
-

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Antimicrobial activity of medicinal plants
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